Supreme Court held 43,713 hearings through video conference in 2020

The Supreme Court of India held 43,713 hearings through video conference in 2020 with 1,998 Benches sitting during the period from March 23, 2020 to December 31, 2020 to hear cases via virtual mode. .According to a press statement issued by the top court, the Court was functional for 231 days in the year 2020, including 13 vacation sittings. The Registry also remained functional for 271 days as against an average of 268 days in the previous three years.."Despite technological constraints and other challenges of reduced workforce, Covid-19 protocols, 43,713 hearings were held by 1,998 benches through Video Conferencing mode till December 31, 2020," the press release said..It also revealed that 408 court officials/staff were infected with Covid-19 and one person passed away..However, almost 99 percent of the officials/staff so reported positive for the infection were asymptomatic or with mild symptoms, the press release said. This early detection & cure was possible due to rigorous implementation of Covid-19 protocols and regular testing of officials/staff at periodic intervals and strict contact tracing mechanism and sanitisation procedure, it added. .Interestingly, the Supreme Court held its inaugural sitting on January 28, 1950. Thus, Thursday marked the 71st year of its functioning. .Physical hearing of cases at Supreme Court was suspended on March 23 after the after the outbreak of Covid-19. The apex court has been hearing cases via video conferencing since then. The top court had issued a circular on March 23 suspending entry of lawyers and litigants to the court premises and directing that only urgent cases will be taken up for hearing through video conferencing..However, judges have given hints in the past two weeks that physical hearing might soon resume in the apex court albeit in a limited way. .[Read Press Release]